Hello, everyone and congratulations on being selected for this adventure. If you haven't already, please complete your character sheets using the character creation criteria below.

Character Creation Guidelines
1) 20-Point Buy, 1st Level
2) Choose two traits. You can't have more than one of each type of trait (regional, combat, faith, etc.)
3) Max HP at first level
4) Max starting gold for your class

If you use Hero Lab, I'd love it if you sent me your .por files. Just shoot me a PM with a link to download it (if you use Dropbox or a similar service) or for my email address.

How We'll Play
I like to have fun and err on the side of fun over rules. This is usually in your favor, so if you show creativity, we may be able to avoid a dreaded dice roll (the dice roller on this board often hates my players).

I will roll initiative and use your passive perception for you when necessary. This speeds up the game considerably (so please include your initiative and perception scores high on your character sheet). If you wish to make an active perception check, please state so and roll the dice. If I don't want to use your roll (or if it's stupidly low) I will simply reject it.

As for handling initiative, to start, I'd like to just use individual initiative. If we find that the combat portions of the game are moving too slowly, we'll adjust.

When doing a skill check, go ahead and state what skill you're using and roll the dice. Again, I might reject your roll if it is unnecessary, but it speeds thing up if I don't have to ask for it.

Let me know if you have any questions and when your character sheet is ready for review.

Ok - now that everyone has checked in, I'd like to explain a little about how this game will vary from the AP. Rather than being personally injured by Lamm, you will be enlisting as members of the Korvosan guard. It just so happens that you're all starting on the same day (how the fates have aligned!) and though not immediately apparent, your destinies are intertwined.

Though you may not have known it, your backgrounds are written from the time of the beginning of the AP - 4708 AR. Our adventure, however, begins a little earlier than that, in 4707 AR, at the beginning of your guard career. I'll try to include enough background to give you context to the situation once we start the game, but let me know if you're confused at all.

Along those lines, how many of you have already played this AP either via PBP or IRL?

@Garridan: Since we are both Full BAB, I wanted to get a idea from you on where you see your character progressing. Are you going to go full TWF chain eventually? 2hander? Trying to adapt a bit, since I could go Shield Spec or TWF spec, as a sword and board for my weapon focus chain as a ranger.

@Idyll: I modified my feats, taking quick draw and improved shield bash. I used the remaining gold for a quick draw light shield and a breastplate. AC has been adjusted. I played the first AP book back during 3.5 so I am kinda familiar with it, but I wont let what I remember interfere with how I play.

@Garridan: Since we are both Full BAB, I wanted to get a idea from you on where you see your character progressing. Are you going to go full TWF chain eventually? 2hander? Trying to adapt a bit, since I could go Shield Spec or TWF spec, as a sword and board for my weapon focus chain as a ranger.

@Idyll: I modified my feats, taking quick draw and improved shield bash. I used the remaining gold for a quick draw light shield and a breastplate. AC has been adjusted. I played the first AP book back during 3.5 so I am kinda familiar with it, but I wont let what I remember interfere with how I play.

You're gonna use a Shield!!!

That makes me so happy!
Now when I fight adjacent to you my Buckler is gonna grant an EXTRA +2AC.
(Via Solo Tactics and Shield Wall teamwork feat)

@Garridan: Since we are both Full BAB, I wanted to get a idea from you on where you see your character progressing. Are you going to go full TWF chain eventually? 2hander? Trying to adapt a bit, since I could go Shield Spec or TWF spec, as a sword and board for my weapon focus chain as a ranger.

@Idyll: I modified my feats, taking quick draw and improved shield bash. I used the remaining gold for a quick draw light shield and a breastplate. AC has been adjusted. I played the first AP book back during 3.5 so I am kinda familiar with it, but I wont let what I remember interfere with how I play.

You're gonna use a Shield!!!

That makes me so happy!
Now when I fight adjacent to you my Buckler is gonna grant an EXTRA +2AC.
(Via Solo Tactics and Shield Wall teamwork feat)

Yep! Once per day, I can also take a hit for a ally that is adjacent to me, and I am all for teamwork feats.

Sorry - I never answered this. You don't need bedrolls, rations or fire-making gear. This is, for now, an urban-set adventure and you have your meals and lodging provided by the guard. If you spent money on those items, you can either hold onto that coin or spend it on something else if you'd like.

@Garridan: Since we are both Full BAB, I wanted to get a idea from you on where you see your character progressing. Are you going to go full TWF chain eventually? 2hander? Trying to adapt a bit, since I could go Shield Spec or TWF spec, as a sword and board for my weapon focus chain as a ranger.

I'm going to stick mostly with TWF. I spent my bonus feat on the swordbreaker dagger, planning to take improved disarm as my next feat. Then I'm either going to go for the TWF chain, power attack or possibly the whirlwind attack feat down the line- and I can also respec my bonus feats later on if I need to. I see him as more graceful than brutish when fighting, so I probably won't go for the power attack chain. I haven't focused on maneuvers this much before, so I want to see how he works out.

GM Idyll- forgot about that human bonus skill point and thought I put the favored class bonus into skills. I'll go for an hp point. Any ideas on what bonus language would work best? Varisian?

Oh hey Idyll I think I forgot to ask you, is it ok if i cast 'freezing grasp' instead of 'shocking grasp?' Kind of fun with the last name, and plus i'm trying to be a little different than EVERY OTHER magus out there. its the exact same spell, just cold damage instead of electricity

Just so everyone knows, there's a method to the madness - your performances during training are having an affect on an invisible stat called "clout." As your clout rises, the perks and opportunities you receive will rise - even if your rank doesn't. For now, I'm tracking clout as a group, and I imagine that it will stay that way. But if one of you consistently performs extraordinarily well or, conversely, one of you fails everything miserably, there may be ramifications.

For now, the clout will be tracked externally, but as we progress through the game, your accumulated clout score will be published on the Campaign Info tab.

I hope that this alteration isn't too boring and/or off-putting as all of you applied for a Curse of the Crimson Throne AP - not a "guard-in-training" AP.

Hey sorry - a good family friend was in an accident on Monday afternoon and we're caring for their kids. Posting from my phone. I will be back, but in the meantime, if you're a praying-type person, keep them in your thoughts.